JRN 203 Data Charts

The number of anglers in Michigan is rising again after a significant dip in the early 2000's. Despite this fishing is still much more popular than hunting, and both fall far short of wildlife watching around one's home.

The rapid decrease in anglers could be due to several factors including decreased travel for recreation and tourism following the terror attacks on 9/11. Another possible factor for the decrease is the price of gasoline which rose fairly steadily from 2002 through 2008 meaning people were less likely to drive if they didn't absolutely need to.

A surprisingly low number of people participate in both hunting and fishing. This is likely due to the initial costs associated with the sports. Fishing can be enjoyed with just a rod and reel, line, a bobber, a hook, and some bait. Hunting on the other hand requires at least a few hundred dollars spent on the firearm or bow in order to begin. Ammunition is also very expensive compared to bait and tackle. Most fishing tackle can be used for years before needing replaced, while ammunition is one time use and a single box of rifle rounds can easily be $20 on the low end. In addition, Michigan's weather requires large amounts of warm clothing due to hunting season being in the fall and spanning into early winter.

The cost of licenses is also significant between hunting and fishing. A fishing licenses for a state resident that is valid for one year costs $26 while a single kill tag for an antlered deer is $20 and a combination license that allows the taking of an antlered deer and a doe is $30 for residents and $190 for non-residents.


Sources: https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/fhw11-mi.pdf
http://zfacts.com/gas-price-history-graph
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/hunting_and_trapping_digest_461177_7.pdf